world of shorts
the berlinale 2013 issue
a shortfilm magazine published by daazo.com - the european shortfilm centre
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Show your talent to the world of shorts! Upload your film for a chance to be highlighted at the Cannes Film Festival's Short Film Corner and in the Cannes issue of World of Shorts magazine.
World of Shorts
Deadline: 31 March 2013 More info: daazo.com/woshcontest2013
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the film contest
by daazo.com
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The Berlinale: who & what to look out for this year
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pitching:
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everything you need to know about it
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mapping your mind: Berlinale Shorts directors draw short film financing: the ultimate guide Daazo’s Top Users: meet two prize-winning filmmakers
tampere special: meet Jukka-Pekka Laakso and Zaida Bergroth
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short film festivals in 2013 a festival guide by Reelport
Film training: a workshop agenda
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Sometimes it is confusing to enter a film festival, a market or a talent hub. Beforehand you are pretty sure that you have the best film, the best distribution strategy or the best script in your pocket. Then you find yourself there only to meet hundreds of people who thought the same thing. At that moment almost everybody faces the question: am I talented, good, or smart enough to be here and convince the film industry about my skills? Well, Daazo is here to help! From pitch to production. From a promise to the promised land. From being a talent to being a hero. These are the paths we would like to guide you through in this issue of World of Shorts magazine. This is why we have come up with a new initiative, an entirely new way of pitching film plans: the PitchPage project. We have chosen seven from the many submitted visual pitch images to highlight in our magazine. Through World of Shorts magazine, these ideas will be delivered to producers, fellow filmmakers and film professionals. We are very excited to see how the paths of these projects develop. In addition, to provide a bit of a backdrop to the PitchPage there is an article about the art of pitching by Wim Vanacker, organiser of the European Short Pitch. We present a panorama of the classical method of European short film financing and also a brand new way to realise your plans: crowdfunding. We also have an article by Jan Naszewski about the perfect content for the short film market. As film festivals are the most important meeting points and showcases for filmmakers, we also
From a Promise to the Promised Land text: Dรกniel Deรกk
concentrate on their particular characteristics - how and why they select films - in articles provided by Bristol Encounters and the Tampere International Film Festival. And of course, in this Berlinale Issue of World of Shorts magazine we cover the programme of Berlinale Shorts and the Berlinale Talent Campus. You will be inspired visually by the magical drawings of the directors of the Berlinale Shorts competition, and we have asked the curator, Maike Mia Hรถhne about the challenges of selecting the best shorts from the thousands they received. We also talked with Matthijs Wouter Knol, programme manager of the Berlinale Talent Campus about the milestones of the history of the Campus and he explained their new initiative, the Short Film Station project. The talents also have their say, as we asked them to tell us what they expected from the Campus (a lot, of course!). So we think that there is definitely a path from a promise to the promised land. Sometimes it is a short one and sometimes it is long and winding. There are many ways to get there and we try to do our best to highlight some of them in this issue. Enjoy your journey with World of Shorts!
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image: Dacian Groza
Berlinale
The Berlinale Talent Campus and Berlinale Shorts are two essential starting points for young filmmakers shooting their first short films. We’ve brought together organisers and participants of these programmes to see what all this hype is about. A talk with Maike Mia HÜhne, page 7 introducing the Talent Campus / Short Film Station, page 10 Talents speak, page 14 the robert bosch stiftung film prize, page 16 Berlinale Residency, page 18
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The Future of Filmmaking Lies in its Past
We spoke to the curator of Berlinale Shorts, Maike Mia Höhne to find out more about this year’s selection and the current state of filmmaking. text: Anita Libor
THE FUN PART One morning we get a phone call in the office. Barbara, our colleague from the Datacenter calls: “Why do you want to give an accreditation to Joao Viana? He already has one.” “What? How?!” “He got one via the Forum…” I do a quick search and yes, he has a feature length film in the Forum and suddenly everything makes sense: he has made a short and a feature, both based on the same material. I call my colleagues from the Forum: “Do you have a film from Portugal in this year’s selection?” “Yes.” “Are there parts in black and white and the rest printed in red?” “Yes, why?” “Me too!” “What?” “Yes, me too! You have the long version, I will screen the short version.” The power of cinema allows you to think about your subject in different ways, to tell stories and share moments with completely different approaches, to use footage in a liberating way: that’s how Joao, the director of Tabato and A Batalha de Tabato (The Battle of Tabato) explains his touch. THE LEITMOTIF It is often the first film to be chosen that gives an idea about what is going to happen and about the films that will come up within the next weeks. This year, Una Ciudad en una Ciudad (A City Within a City) was the first film to be selected, like last year it was Say Goodbye to the Story.
Una Ciudad en una Ciudad gives a detailed view into the tallest squatted house in the world. This squatted house represents a reflection of society, in Foucault’s sense. Many films of this year’s selection follow this idea. They go to special places, they go into detailed moments of life and find, like in a mirror, a picture of society. What is property - if property belongs to all? How do you deal with what is the same to all? What can you do if all you can do is wait? But life is not about waiting, but continuously continuing its own way. War gives a break to normal life. THE FILMMAKER When I select a film, I select a film. We watch it, we discuss it. I watch it several times and it still has to be interesting to me, even after I have seen it couple of times. And then we do research on the film and find out about the filmmaker - who they are, whether they have made any other films before, do I know them, etc. But still, I select a film: whether it was made by someone unknown, or by a famous name behind the oeuvre - it doesn’t matter.
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One of the most beautiful moments happens during the festival when we do our Artist Talks - having seen the movie and getting to know the artist and his/her ideas which translate much better through talking to the creator on stage is truly special. I love it! Being selected for the Berlinale Shorts helps the filmmaker to take a huge step into the industry. Everyone wants to be included into the selection, because everyone is aware of the power of this festival. More than a thousand people see your film a day. This is incomparable with other feature film festivals. The attention that shorts get here is wide and open.
“The power of cinema allows you to think about your subject in different ways, to tell stories and share moments with completely different approaches, to use footage in a liberating way” THE CURATOR Berlinale Shorts is the only place within such an important festival, compared to Cannes or Venice, where all films are treated the same way. The Berlinale Shorts selection represents the current state of the art in short film making. We make no difference between a 5 minute animation and a 25 minute fiction film. No difference: whether animation, fiction, documentary, experimental, hybrid forms: all of these films contribute to the current state of the art. And, concerning the process of selection, they all contribute to the leitmotif. There is a constant movement in the form itself. There is communication in between the films as well. Bringing together contemporary positions with history and spanning the discourse about film, like this, through times.
This year’s film Khutwa Khutwa (Step by Step) examines the nature of poverty, religion and rigid educational moments. This film has its place in the canon of short films and on the other hand, is part of the mirror while going back in time. The other films reflect the basic question from today’s point of view. OUT OF COMPETITION When I started to work as a curator for the festival in 2008, I programmed Inventur Metzstrasse 11 (Inventory) by Želimir Žilnik. He had won the Golden Bear with his first feature Rani Radovi (Early Works) in 1969. The future of filmmaking lies in its past. That is why I give an idea about what short film making is coming from on one hand - on the other hand, like in the case of Khutwa Khutwa (Step by Step), these films reflect the discussion within the selected shorts in one more way. Jumping back in time allows a different understanding of life. In 2010 I did two extra programmes for the 60th birthday of the festival - films made by German women in the 80’s. Still contemporary in their wants and needs. Early video works, wonderful short narrations - views into society. EVENTS We have been invited by the Zeit Online ZaloON. We will screen two explicitly wonderful shorts and talk about love on screen, extremes, images and stories with Jan Soldat and Zhou Yan, the creators of Geliebt (Beloved, Berlinale Shorts 2010) and Shi Luo Zhi Di (Lost Land, Berlinale Shorts, 2012). Zhou Yan is back to Berlinale Shorts with her latest film Ba Bi Lun Shao Nian (Rivers of Babylon). People from the edge of society are in the centre of her movies. Touching and revealing, they are always special. Zhou Yan brought a very feminine approach to this contemporary, exotic and moving Chinese avant-garde short film. Thursday 14.2. / 18-19.30 / ZaloON, Askanischer Platz 1.
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The first Talent Campus Durban takes place, in cooperation with the Durban International Film Festival.
The first Talent Campus Tokyo takes place during the TOKYO FILMeX festival
Inauguration of the Short Film Station
2011
After a Visionary Campus in 2008, the Guadalajara Film Festival, in cooperation with the Berlinale Talent Campus, hosts the first edition of the Talent Campus Guadalajara in 2009.
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The first Talent Campus Buenos Aires takes place during the Buenos Aires Independent International Film Festival (BAFICI).
For the first time, the Sarajevo Film Festival hosts the Sarajevo Talent Campus, in cooperation with the Berlinale Talent Campus.
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2004
First edition of the Berlinale Talent Campus
Over 3,500 filmmakers apply for the Talent Campus in 2004, almost double the number of the previous year. / Inauguration of the Berlin Today Award, the Berlinale Talent Campus Short Film Competition. / The first Campus International initiatives take place, with programmes in New Delhi (India), Kiev (Ukraine) and Shitengi (South Africa).
2003
The Berlinale Talent Campus and the importance of supporting short film developments. An interview with Matthijs Wouter Knol. Looking through the impressive timeline of the Berlinale Talent Campus, it’s inspiring to see how this platform is capable of renewing almost year by year, how elegantly it is fine tuning its approach to its original mission: connecting and discovering a new generation of filmmakers. In 2013, a new initiative, the Short Film Station has been introduced (as a kind of successor of the Berlin Today Award) and it has around 15 training projects going on simultaneously (e.g. the Doc Station and Sound Studio).
The Input text: Zoltán Aprily infographics: Cristina Groşan
“The Berlin Today Award was a form of how we did this support, apart from the panels and discussions. We had this idea at the beginning, because the Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg wanted to support short film projects with funding. The reason of change is not that we felt it wasn’t working anymore, but we felt that the Talent Campus had developed a bit While we are amazed by its dynamic change in the past ten years. Now it’s more like a platand its exclusive focus on shorts, Matthijs Wouter Knol, the programme manager of the form connecting filmmakers and giving them input, so after the Campus they can continue Talent Campus is talking about it in a modto work with the people they met in Berlin est way: “Many people who attend the Talent and also use the connections we gave them. Campus have made short films, are working We realised a year ago that giving a budget is on, or keep making short films. They want something we don’t want to do anymore specifito form collaborations, they want to try out things, or they might want to train their story- cally, but rather connect the filmmakers with telling skills. For the Talent Campus, short film funders, co-producers, short film initiatives, is essential. I personally don’t see short films platforms like Daazo, to let them know how as the first step of filmmaking which at some they can show their films or present themselves point is abandoned because all everyone wants at festivals like Clermont-Ferrand. So, basito make is a feature film. The skill of making cally, we offer them everything that people good short films is something that needs atten- working in the short film industry might need.” tion and needs support as well,” says Matthijs. The 10 projects selected by a prestigious jury And indeed, during the six days of the Talent represent filmmakers from different parts of Campus, 10 selected participants will have the the world and have the qualities of a possible chance to develop their scripts, participate in Golden Bear winner. networking events and get the most out of the Campus. WOSH by Daazo.com - the European Shortfilm Centre 11
However, Matthijs gives us a realistic picture about their role in development. “We, of course, stay in touch with filmmakers, and if they need any support or, let’s say, they ask to be introduced to a producer, we are ready to help. And if a film is in production, most of the filmmakers inform us about that, and if the film is ready and submitted to the Berlinale, of course we know about it. If we treat them differently? Yes and no. We encourage filmmakers to apply to the Berlinale, but the selection is based on quality. We live in a world of grownups. We are not here to create a safety net around filmmakers, we can’t promise that your film will be selected. But we are aware of these films and keep track of them, but it’s
totally Maike Mia Höhne’s (curator of Berlinale Shorts) decision if any of them gets selected. In general, all the Talents are potential Golden Bear winners.” He might be right, there’s no doubt about the fact that the Talent Campus does a lot to discover new talents. This year they have received a fantastic 4,400 applications and the international campuses are more and more popular in their own regions (Tokyo just got its second run). With this year’s topic Some Like It Hot - Filmmakers as Entertainers, Talent Campus participants are encouraged to take part in vivid discussions with an open-minded attitude during the lectures. The chance is given - everything else is up to them. advertisement
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I tried to express honestly why I love cinematography and how it’s tied into my life, and I think my passion came through. The film I entered reflects the stage I’m at right now and shows my enjoyment of playing and searching. I also hope it hints at what I strive for in my future work, which is a powerful atmosphere and a more visceral approach to visual storytelling. - Anda
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yvonne kerékgyártó, 23, Hungary, director
I find international platforms very important for my professional development. As a visual storyteller, I am interested in opening new ways for dramaturgy. In 2011 I studied for half a year at the HFF Potsdam, Babelsberg. This was a very defining experience. I learned a lot. It opened up new horizons for me. Ever since, I’ve liked Berlin very much: the city and the people I met there and at the unidORA NEDECZKY, versity. The fact that I can spend 28, Hungary, producer time at the Berlinale Talent Campus is a fantastic opportunity for me to come back, even This is the second time I’ve if for a short time to this totally applied. Over the last year awesome city. I have completed two short - Yvonne films and have been focusing a lot more on developing my own company. From this background I think that the Berlinale Talent Campus encourages young filmmakers to work autonomously while realizing independent projects. - Dora
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I applied for the Talent Campus to find a producer for my future project and also because I’m interested in making new connections, finding out about new visions and getting some inspiration. In my own medium there are no opportunities as there is no film industry developed, but on the other hand there are so many stories that are worth being told. - Otilia
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otilia babara, 28, Moldova, director
This year I have been chosen for the Talent Project Market with a strong script and a very talented debut director. We are looking forward to meeting a lot of interested people and to finding the right ones to work with on our film. Putting together the whole periphery of a project with co-producers, commissioning editors, world sales and distributors is a delicate thing as all of us have to share the same vision. - Jonas
The Talents Speak
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I believe all participants’ strength lies in their sample of work, as in filmmaking you can impress more with visual material than with words. - Otilia
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Anda Puscas, 24, Romania, cinematographer
Jonas weydemann, 27, Germany, producer
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Making films is networking in itself. My main interest is getting to know interesting people, to find allies and to get inspired by new thinking. The Talent Campus is an intense week of meeting young filmmakers from all over the world. - Jonas
I believe great things can happen when you gather young and passionate filmmakers in the same place and I’m sure it’s going to be a breath of fresh air. I see the Talent Campus community as an intense, professional and unique way of learning and networking. Having almost no experience in the industry can sometimes make you lose sight of the bigger picture, so I’m really looking forward to a change of perspective. - Anda
Just Days Before the Campus
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I am shooting my second short film in April 2013, a short war drama set in Kosovo. My next short film after that will be shot in September 2014. It will be a comedy about a German tourist in Sarajevo. Hopefully, I will also start the pre-production for my first feature film this year. - Ariel
10 ariel shaban, 31, Kosovo, director
For Berlin, I updated my website, printed extra business cards and sales leaflets and put together numerous screeners from my latest works. My primary targets are festival programmers, and sales representatives as I’m currently looking for the perfect festival premiere and broadcasting partners for my completed projects. So, fingers crossed! - Dora
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The Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung is in the quest for new territories. An interview with Karin Angela Schyle. text: Zoltán Aprily article illustration: Călin Bocian
Opening to the Arab World
This year you are going to organise the award ceremony of the Film Prize during the Berlinale Talent Campus. If you look back at the previous year, what were the milestones of the Film Prize? In April 2012 we extended the programme of the Film Prize Germany/Eastern Europe with a new call for young filmmakers from Germany and the Arab World. Research in the new region had been done the year before. Frank Albers, project manager from the Robert Bosch Stiftung, travelled through the Arab World to build up partnerships with film experts and film institutions. As a result we managed to establish two Project Markets to develop a team-finding process between German producers and young talents from the Arab World.
Frank Albers, Susanne Sporrer, Masoud Al Ali Amralla, Shivani Pandya
The first Project Market took place at the Gulf Film Festival in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in April 2012. Four German producers had the chance to connect with young filmmakers who were invited to the festival. The second Project Market was organised in cooperation with the Royal Film Commission in Amman, Jordan. Ten young directors from the Middle East and Egypt presented their project ideas to seven German producers. The success of these Project Markets was manifested in the submissions to the first call for entries. Out of the ten nominated projects competing for the 2013 Film Prize Germany/Arab World, four teams met either in Dubai or Amman.
In December, the nominated teams were invited to the Nominee Forum held in the Representative Office of the Robert Bosch Stiftung in Berlin. During a four-day workshop they were able to develop their projects together with their team partner and film experts thus getting prepared for the Jury Pitch in Berlin on February 8. The three prizes, worth up to 60,000 euros for each selected project, will be announced during the Opening Ceremony of the Berlinale Talent Campus on February 9. What potential does the Arab World have for young German producers and filmmakers? What is the philosophy behind expanding the territories of the Robert Bosch Stiftung? The new developments in the Arab World, as well as discovering a different visual and cinematic approach, are surely one of the main incentives for German producers to look for team partners in the Arab World. Furthermore, we believe that co-producing in new territories is an enrichment for their working experience and their network . The Robert Bosch Stiftung sees its guiding principles as fostering understanding between different nations and cultures through exchange and cooperation. The programme of the Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung allows young talents to learn from each other by exploring the methods and creative styles of their team partner’s country. We also believe that it is important to transmit and depict the consequences and themes of the Arab Spring in the social and political environment of the Arab World to the German audience with an artistic approach.
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What possibilities do you see for short film distribution in the Arab World? What are the most relevant film hubs in the territory? The film industry in the Arab World, especially for short films, is at an early development stage and especially young filmmakers are searching for new ways of finding co-production partners. They are eager to connect and meet with an international film scene. Our first encounter with decision makers and film initiatives made us understand that there is a need for short film production. One more reason for us to support this development.
Each DVD comes with a booklet that contains information on the films as well as the biographies of the directors and producers, interviews and many pictures. The DVDs can be used and ordered for non-commercial use.
We are happy that we already found well established partners in the Arab World. With the Dubai Film Festival we reach not only filmmakers from the Gulf region, but also from the North African countries. Still it is difficult to foresee the development of the festival situation in the North African countries.
Together with the Berlinale Talent Campus we invite the nominees from Germany and Eastern Europe and from Germany and the Arab World as well as friends and partners from the Film Prize to a screening called Heading East, presenting a retrospective of four films awarded the Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung Germany / Eastern Europe.
With the Royal Film Commission in Amman, Jordan, we found a strong and active partner in the Middle East. For the upcoming year our intention is to extend our activities to Beirut and build cooperation with reliable partners there and in North Africa.
Each year we organise several screenings of the Film Prize winners as part of our Project Markets organised in cooperation with our partner festivals or as part of our Nominee Forum. Usually the filmmakers are present at these screenings and talk about their experience with the Film Prize programme.
Last but not least, many of our winning films have a successful career and can be seen all over the world at festivals or other screenings.
Do you have any kind of video library or archive for the films you have supported? Do you plan to organise screenings or events to present them as a collection? Since 2009, the Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung has released a DVD edition on a regular basis, presenting the winning films of the Film Prize Germany / Eastern Europe. We plan to continue this tradition with the new films by German and Arab filmmakers.
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Take Your Time. Work Hard. Make a Good Film. text: Cristina Grosan image: Amets Iriondo
Matias Bize, coming right out of Chile, is one of the 6 filmmakers who took part in the Berlinale Residency this year where he started working on his fifth feature film. Besides catching up on how Berlin has got his imagination going, we also went back to the beginning of his career, short films and pitching techniques.
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You already have four feature length films in your portfolio. What made you apply for the Berlinale Residency? I had been travelling a lot for the past two years with my previous film, The Life of Fish, and I decided it was time to start working on something new. Most directors already have projects on their mind when promoting their current film. And when I was travelling, I was only focusing on my current film. I needed the time and the place to focus on the new script, to get away from everything just to discover what was that personal story I needed to tell. I want to continue working on films that tell personal stories, and that takes time. The Berlinale Residency was the perfect chance to do that. How did the Residency go for you? During the Residency I was able to work with professionals on my script, people who are trained to first understand what it is that you’re trying to say. Then, without trying to influence you with their own ideas, they try and help you make the most out of your story, cut out what you don’t need, strengthen the structure. We would meet every month for a couple of days, and then after getting feedback, I would get back to work. The Residency had a perfect structure. They didn’t impose any mandatory schedule. We had a lot of free time to write, and we could ask for professional help whenever we felt we needed that. So I guess it was all about how one used their time. I also got to live in Kreuzberg (ed.: one of Berlin’s most youngest and hippest neighbourhoods). I never spent much time in Berlin before. The first day I arrived, I got a bike, so I was able to meet and “live” the city first hand. I got a lot of inspiration not just for the script, but generally speaking. I was in Berlin for 4 months, and I’m sure this will have an influence on my next films.
Did the Residency focus more on scriptwriting or more on distribution schemes and theatrical release plans? I was in Berlin from the end of August until December. In the first three months, I worked on the script, but in December, when my producer came to Berlin, we had a whole intensive week to focus on financing and marketing plans.It was a good opportunity, because I was able to be part of a big festival like the Berlinale. It’s a perfect starting point for a movie. This had never happened to me before, I had never received any support like this before in Europe.
“Work really hard, make a good film, and people will probably like the outcome. When I shoot a film, I never think of where I’m going to screen my film.” Let’s look back for a moment, just before your graduating from film school. What were your plans then, how did you see yourself working and living after graduation? I remember that during film school teachers were asking us about our plans. And I never had any doubts about that - I wanted to make films, and I wanted to live from that. I didn’t know if it were possible, and I’m not even sure if it’s possible to recommend this now, but I really wanted to make films, and that’s what I’m doing. And for the time being, fortunately, everything is working out well. But there are no guarantees. How did you see film financing then, freshly out of school? My producer helped me a lot. When I was a student, we were all making films, everyone was working for free. And I was very enthusiastic, we never got tired.
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But then my producer tried to get me to take things seriously. So I understood that if you want to have a career, you have to take more time to plan, you need to get your script together, and apply for funds. So we kept that good energy and enthusiasm and put it into planning. And I think in one way, I’m still thinking like a student. I write and then we start shooting, and I discover the movie during the process.
“I want to continue working on films that tell personal stories, and that takes time.”
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Looking at the short film scene, the competition is very fierce. There are so many films submitted to a festival (some 7,000, for ClermontFerrand) and only a few of them are selected (around 80). This means many films are never seen by a large audience. As a filmmaker and author, how do you face that thought? Filmmakers don’t need to think about this. A student was asking me about the festivals he should apply to when he was still working on his film. I say, put all your energy into making a good film. Work really hard, make a good film, and people will probably like the outcome. When I shoot a film, I never think of where I’m going to screen my film, I don’t think of the number of people in the audience. I try my best to work with the actors, get what I want, I try everything on set. And I don’t rush finishing a film so I can submit it to a certain festival. And afterwards, even if you have contacts from a certain festival, it doesn’t mean anything. Perhaps they received more films from your country, or they simply don’t like the film, or they don’t see that it fits with that year’s selection. And how does a filmmaker attract attention? By doing a good film, and telling a personal story, in a particular way. I try to work like this.
Pitching image: Dacian Groza
There’s a harsh world out there. Countless filmmakers are struggling to turn their ideas into a film. Besides learning the technique of filmmaking it is crucial to sell your story. This is why we’ve put together a guide to the essentials of pitching. Picture this! Wim vanacker on pitching techniques, page 22 A pitching tool kit, page 24 the pitch page project, page 26
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Picture This! “We're only interested in one thing, Bart. Can you tell a story? Can you make us laugh? Can you make us cry? Can you make us want to break out in joyous song? Is that more than one thing? Okay!” text: Wim Vanacker image: Oana Barna
To be read with Hollywood bravura and Italo-American enthusiasm, Jack Lipnick, the studio executive in the Coen Brother’s Barton Fink, at your service, but it does sum up what pitching is all about. As simple as that. Even Barton Fink had to give in. Pitching is an art and one of the most essential skills needed for a successful career in the film industry. To quote Jack Lipnick once again, “It’s the carrot that wags the dog.” Do you believe in magic spells? Probably not. But if a filmmaker utters the right words to the right person at the right time, his or her dreams might as well come true. This is your time to shine and to show some personality and character. Your next magnum opus deserves proper respect. But what makes a good pitch? What makes a pitch really sing? A very subjective matter as everybody pitches differently with different results, but the one thing everybody has in common is that you are the master of that imaginary universe you’re trying to sell. There’s no one out there that knows that world as well as you do and it’s up to you to make them believers.
The people present will be looking at your world through your eyes and it’s your duty to make them realize, life is illuminating over there on the other side. Plant a seed and cultivate it. Be passionate, be confident and they’ll follow. Be like Charlie, Barton Fink’s Charlie that is: “Look upon me! I’ll show you the life of the mind!” Of course, your pitch has to comprise the DNA of your script, clearly and concisely put. Keep the narrative momentum that carries you through the script in mind and make sure it contains all the elements necessary for the telling of a good story. It’s telling stories, and the goal of every screenplay, every movie, every story of any kind is identical: to elicit emotion. It needs to have energy and that energy comes from the most basic building-block of drama: conflict. Talk about character. As people relate to people, even in a business built on a foundation of hype, fear, greed, insecurity and ego. No one is immune to humanity.
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I’m smiling so you should be smiling. Cinema is all about emotional manipulation, isn’t it? So read your audience, find your hook and connect. Everything is acceptable. Everything is justifiable. As long as your heart is in the right place. It’s all an act, an act of salesmanship, and adding a bit of theatrics and the occasional MacGuffin never harmed anyone. There are no prizes for reserve or understatement, even if that’s the style of your script. Think of the size of that big screen and make the language of your pitch match that space. Give them something to chew on, something with sizzle and pop. Life with the dull bits cut out, as Hitchcock would say. But in the end, they’ll always be thinking, would I want to see this movie? Is it different than anything I’ve seen before, or is it the same old thing only with a slight twist? “I gotta tell you, the life of the mind, there’s no roadmap for that territory.” Indeed Barton. Thanks for that. Very insightful indeed. Wim Vanacker is the Head of the Script Department at the ESP.
NISI MASA – the European Network of Young Cinema annually organises the European Short Pitch, bringing together 25 young European talents to rewrite, discuss and pitch their short film projects. About the European Short Pitch The European Short Pitch is an initiative aimed at promoting the European coproduction of short films. It combines a scriptwriting workshop in residency, an online session and a coproduction forum bringing together scriptwriters and industry professionals from all over Europe. Selected on the basis of their short film projects, 25 European talents gather to discuss, rewrite, and learn to promote their stories on a European level with the support of 5 tutors. They eventually pitch their projects in front of a panel of 35 producers, financiers, buyers, and distributors. The European Short Pitch aims to bring young European talents into the spotlight, give them a high-end promotion opportunity, and develop short film coproduction in Europe. This initiative is about enhanced economic viability and European visibility for short film projects. In the previous editions (2007-2012), around 125 projects were presented that have resulted so far in the making of 23 short films - many of them having a very successful international career.
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9
1 4
3
8 LOUD+CLEAR
2
MINTS
6 BUSINESS
Keep some mints in Get lots of speech CARDS your back pocket in practice. Cicero may WATCH Plenty of them! case your throat gets have used stones to sore from too much Have a watch on. perfect his speech, but waiting or anxiety. Your pitching time is there are countless SPEECH strictly limited. other ways of making your voice clear and Don’t overestimate STORY your words your public speaking Have a good story. Recognise its strong and understandable. abilities - write down sellable points. Don’t show off, but don’t be too your speech. modest either.
NOTES
Have a notebook with you. You never know when you might get hold of a good idea!
A pitching tool kit
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by Cristina Groşan
7
10 5
11 MONEY The poor artist look won’t get you anywhere. Put on some good clothes. You don’t have to dress to impress, but a worn out shirt isn’t going to make a trick - not even if you’re pitching Les Misérables.
VISUALS Invest in your visual presentation. Have a moodboard, a collection of images that depict your story, your characters or the visual style of your film project. It will make it easier for people to envisage the world you’re creating.
SELF PROMOTION
RECENT WORK
Print flyers with your film’s synopsis, a catchy image and your contact details. You can give it to people as a reminder of your pitch.
Have DVDs of your previous work with you in case someone wants to see what you’ve been up to until now. Previous films are also good calling cards.
for successful pitching WOSH by Daazo.com - the European Shortfilm Centre 25
the
pitch
page Behold the shorts of the future! The Pitch Page offers an innovative opportunity for filmmakers to present their film plan without having their heart in their throats, using visual creativity. We got a huge number of groovy pitches. Here are the seven best pitches, selected by Daazo! Which one would you like to see realised? Vote on daazo.com!
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ME, MY PARENTS AND MY 7 YEAR OLD EX-WIFE
the projects
- Ioana Mischie
In a Roma village, tradition says that everyone must get married before they are 7 years old. Refusing to respect the pattern, Adrian is 8 and still unmarried, in search of his dream-girl, becoming a hero but also the subject of joke.
YIN, AND WHAT TO DO WITH IT - Myroslava Khoroshun
“It’s you who’s killing your husband, not a disease,” said the doctor. The weird prescription shocks the emancipated lady: “You’ve lost your womanhood. To save him – become a woman.” Will she manage to get her femininity back? Will he live? World Cake - Timo von Gunten World Cake - an emotional journey through the aisles of a supermarket. It portrays the search for emotions in a supermarket. The protagonist discovers that every product contains the emotions of the people who produced it. And she becomes alive again. the time before - Katarzyna Klimkiewicz & Dominga Sotomayor
A group of people gather for a family reunion in a house on an isolated island. Unspoken relationships bloom, past events are examined and the children disappear into the surrounding nature. They are waiting for the last person to join them, but as the evening comes and he doesn’t arrive, a strange anxiety overwhelms them.The group dismantles and the family members wander away from the house separately, confronting the sea and an unspoken fear that slowly consumes them.
The First Time - inVitr0 When was the last time you did something for the first time?... Join us! The First Time is an international short film & transmedia project based on the universal narrative of losses of virginity. The core is the development of a programme of 30 (up to 3 min) short films directed by emerging European storytelling talents found via an open thematic Call for Scripts (*the Call will be launched during the Berlinale 2013) accompanied by interactive & participatory transmedia with a strong social media footprint. primus - Ferran Brooks Year 2040. They came first like a toy: cumbersome and impractical, but later, they became an important part of our lives. Annie´s small tears have awakened unknown sensations in her robot keeper, almost forbidden for a robot. Until that day. Honey, Can you Take my human for a walk? - Miha Subic Imagine a world in which humans and animals switch positions. The story is set in this kind of a world. It is a breathtaking story about a human-animal relationship and how they function in this upsidedown world. (Note: The screenplay is currently in development.)
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ME, MY PARENTS AND MY 7 YEAR OLD EX-WIFE contact: Studioset, UNATC, ioana_mischie@yahoo.com WOSH 28
documentary / Romania
The First Time
European Short Film & Transmedia Project
contact: InVitr0 network, www.invitr0.com, info@invitr0.com WOSH 29
world cake
contact: BMC Films, timo@bmc-films.com WOSH 30
drama / Switzerland
yin, and what to do with it
contact: Noosphere Films, max@noospherefilms.com WOSH 31
comedy / Ukraine
primus
contact: Euromedia, www.euromedia.es, paulino@euromedia.es WOSH 32
science fiction / Spain
honey, can you take my human for a walk? 3D animation comedy / Slovenia contact: Film association Film Factory, info@filmfactory.si WOSH 33
the time before
drama, Poland / Chile
contact: New Europe Film Sales, jan@neweuropefilmsales.com, rebeca@cinestacion.cl WOSH 34
production fact sheet
The First Time - European Short Film & Transmedia Project
director: Tess Murray (pilot) & 29 directors we are looking for via Open Call for Scripts main producer: Artemio Benki / inVitr0 contact: invitr0.com, info@invitr0.com production companies: InVitr0 network: Argonaut Films (GR), Backlight Films (UK), Flux Film (ESP), ME, MY PARENTS AND MY 7 Fetish Film (RU), Oscar Film (DK), Sirena Film YEAR OLD EX-WIFE (CZ), The Talent Incubator UG (GER), Volya Film director: Ioana Mischie | producer: Adrian (NL) & looking for production partners in other countries | budget: € 350,000 | covered: € 70,000 needed: Smarandache | country: Romania €280,000 | estimated length: 30 x 3 min | genre: multi genre contact: ioana_mischie@yahoo.com production company: Studioset, UNATC primus budget: €37, 800 | covered: €8,835 | needed: €28,965 | estimated length: 20 min director: Ferran Brooks genre: observational documentary producer: Diana Rodriguez & Paulino Cuevas country: Spain | contact: paulino@euromedia.es, yin, and what to do with it facebook.com/robotstories | euromedia.es production companies: Euromedia, Digital Guerrilla & Hampa Studios | estimated budget: director: Myroslava Khoroshun producer: Max Serdiuk | country: Ukraine €78,000 | covered: €54,600 | needed: €23,400 Looking for partners from other countries to participate contact: max@noospherefilms.com in the production. | estimated length: 12 min production company: Noosphere Films genre: science fiction budget: €197,423 | covered: €139,654 needed: €57,769 | estimated length: 25 min Honey, Can you Take my human for a genre: comedy / melodrama walk? World Cake director: Timo von Gunten | producer: Giles Foreman | country: Switzerland contact: timo@bmc-films.com | production company: BMC Films | budget: €60,000 | covered: €10,000 needed: €50,000 estimated length: 15 min | genre: drama
the
PITCH
page
director: Miha Šubic | producer: Mojca Pernat country: Slovenia | contact: info@filmfactory.si production company: Film association Film Factory budget: €75,000 | covered: 0 | needed: €75,000 estimated length: 9 min | form: 3D animated film genre: comedy / satire the time before director: Dominga Sotomayor & Katarzyna Klimkiewicz | producers: Jan Naszewski, Rebeca Gutiérrez | countries: Poland / Chile contact: jan@neweuropefilmsales.com, rebeca@cinestacion.cl | production companies: Cinestacion Ltda. / New Europe Film Sales budget: €35,000 | covered: €15,000 | needed: €20,000 estimated length: 30 min | genre: drama WOSH 35
Feeling the Responsibility and Honouring Tradition Preparing for a new edition of the Tampere Film Festival. An interview with Jukka-Pekka Laakso. text: Anita Libor image: Cristina Groşan
Tampere is one of the oldest short film festival in Europe. What was the most fascinating moment of the past 44 years? It probably was the first film screened at the very first festival. Personally, it is really hard to say. There is no one moment I would pick over others. Although last year, Ferenc Cakó showed us live how he makes sand animations. Now that was a special moment.
Jukka-Pekka Laakso is the Festival Director of the Tampere Film Festival, Finland
Tampere, Oberhausen and Clermont-Ferrand are the three most important short film festivals in Europe. How does the Tampere Film Fest stand out? We all have different approaches to short films. I think in Tampere, we rely on the traditions of cinema when it comes to aesthetics and we seek films that speak about important issues. We are more documentary oriented.
Tampere is about young, up-and-coming filmmakers, thus it attracts a large young audience. How can you reinvent the festival from time to time? Sometimes I think that we do not renew the festival. The filmmakers do that for us. The art of cinema, or at least short films, is capable of producing new and interesting stuff, more than we can screen in five days.
The Tampere short film fest is the meeting point for international filmmakers and also a traditional local event. What is your relationship with the city and the locals? In short: good. We have a fine local audience and the City of Tampere supports us not just financially, but also by mentioning us as one of the city’s main cultural assets.
Every year, you have two competitions: national and international. What special programme will you have this year? The Philippines is the country in focus. Then we have female documentary filmmakers, two young Swedish filmmakers on small retrospectives, Polish animation films and so on.
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You have also been organising a film market since 1992 - what are the results of it and what is the feedback from the short film industry? For professionals, it is important to have access to all the films sent to competition. The chance for them to meet filmmakers is what makes Tampere valuable for professionals. In our opinion, a film market is what every real film festival should provide. You will have a special screening of The Circus. What is your special connection to Chaplin? Nothing special really, but Chaplin is such a big icon in the history of cinema. It is also a good way to remind people of one of our messages: Good films are good even when they are old, and the history of cinema is not appreciated enough. Your main prize nominates the short films to EFA and the Academy Awards. Do you feel your power when you are selecting the competition or when you decide about the winner? We feel the responsibility, not the power. But when we do the selection, we do not care about prizes or nominations. We select films that are good enough to be in the competition and try to make sure that the selection reflects the world that we live in, the whole world, not just our eurocentric one. And of course we try to present different ways of filmmaking. Then it is up to the Jury to decide.
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image: Dacian Groza
To better illustrate the relationship between directors and their films, the filmmakers from the official selection of the Berlinale Shorts were asked to spontaneously draw something about their film - using a pencil and a piece of paper (or any other medium they could think of). Anything would do - a symbol, a landscape, fresh and raw, out of their imagination.
Mapping Your Mind WOSH by Daazo.com - the European Shortfilm Centre 38
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Kwaku Ananse
Kwaku Ananse is a traditional West African fable of a spiderman, who spends years collecting all the wisdom of the world in a wooden pot. As he tries to hide the pot in a tree he can’t find a way to place it high up in its branches. When his little son, Ntikuma shows him the way, Kwaku Ananse becomes so angered that throws the pot down onto the ground. It bursts open and the wisdom seeps away. Everyone rushes over, hoping to salAkosua Adoma vage what they can. Nyan Koronhwea returns to Owusu, her father Kwaku Ananse’s native Ghana for his fuGhana / Mexico / neral. They had long lost contact with each other. USA She has mixed feelings about her father’s double life with one family in Ghana and another in the United States. Overwhelmed by the funeral, she retreats to the spirit world in search for Kwaku Ananse. She carries her ambivalence with her into the forest, where she learns the ultimate truth about all human relationships.
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misterio (mysterY)
They say that if you put your ear to the back of his neck, you can hear the Virgin talk.
Chema Garcia Ibarra, Spain
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Ja, kada sam bila klinac, bila sam klinka (When I was a boy, I was a girl)
Ivana Todorovic, Serbia
Goca raises a daughter, who is really her niece. Her 18-year-old boyfriend steals her money but she loves him anyway. She is a sex worker but walks as a man in the city where the gay parade is banned. On her 39th birthday, Goca publicly comes out on a theatre stage to tell her life story. When I Was a Boy, I Was a Girl is a film about Goca, a transvestite living in Belgrade, Serbia.
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FORST
Ulu Braun, Germany
Athletes pave their way through the thicket of the forest - observed by hunters and gatherers. Hikers and nature lovers indulge in their bodies, while children are under the magic spell of modern mythical creatures. Fairy tales, myths and legends the starting point of many of these stories has always been the forest. Ulu Braun’s aestheticising video collage Forst spans an arc from a primeval forest saturated in mysticism to the mediatized nature theme park.
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Love Games
Games that lovers play.
Joung Yumi, South Korea
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Una Ciudad En Una Ciudad (A City Within A City)
cylixe, Germany
A heterotopy is a space, symptomatically reflecting upon a social netting. When over 20 years ago the construction was interrupted for a skyscraper in Caracas, Venezuela, no one could have guessed that this building would once become the tallest squat on earth. An empiric, fractal view into the everyday life, the structure and the thoughts of the inhabitants stay in dialogue with the architecture of the tower, which once had been conceived as a financial centre and now gives shelter to a parallel society.
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Al Intithar (The waiting)
Mario Rizzi, Italy / United Arab Emirates
Al Intithar is the first of a trilogy of film which focuses on the emergence of a new civic imagination in Malaysia, Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and Syria and on the social implications of the end of postcolonialism in these countries. The trilogy, called Bayt (House), unravels how the narration of a revolutionary event can be enlightened by the unfolding of little everyday events in the life of unknown people.
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UZUSHIO - seto current (whirling CURRENT)
My native place is red, but my red is redder.
Naoto Kawamoto, Japan
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Between regularity and irregularity
Masahiro Tsutani, Japan
He improvises and through this conversation with himself, he has a chaotic world view evocative of the firing of nerve cells, clustering sounds of convulsiveness. Finely-detailed images filled with light that have been synced to sound. Nature creates the glow of light and the beauty of a shape lying between regularity and irregularity. Sounds and images with a granular texture. These things grasp the depths of the brain.
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La saintetĂŠ (Sanctity)
Areej, a young pregnant widow, will endure anything to protect her unborn child.
Ahd Kamel, France
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AŞura (Ashura)
Köken Ergun, Turkey / Germany
The Battle of Karbala (680) resulted in the death of Hussein, the grandson of prophet Muhammad and all his supporters. This battle is central to Shi’a Muslim belief in which the martyrdom of Hussein is mourned by an annual commemoration, Ashura. Artist Köken Ergun has worked with Istanbul’s Shiite minority, documenting their preparations for the Ashura day.
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The Silent Passenger
Hirofumi Nakamoto, Japan
I shot this film in Okinawa which is an island in the South of Japan. There are a lot of precious animals in Okinawa. I caught the animals and filmed them in an artificial environment, for example, a hotel and a car. I filmed them in an artificial environment in order to emphasize the phrase “they are the others�. I think these works may be regarded as science fiction - because my camera is a spacecraft from the viewpoint of animals.
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Echo
Leave your home behind and find yourself in unknown situations. In the middle of nowhere there are friends waiting. Merlin Fl端gel, Germany
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HYPOZENTRUM
Eins, zwei, Polizei, Drei, vier, Grenadier, Fünf, sechs, alte Hex’, Sieben, acht, gute Nacht! Xenia Lesniewski, Germany
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die ruhe bleibt (remains quiet)
What happens, when nothing happens, when you feel like being in the wrong place and time starts to extend until finally dawn breaks and the day tends to an end. Stefan Kriekhaus, Germany
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à coup de couteau denté (Stab)
Pneu writes. Pneu plays. Pneu is a guitar-drums duo from France who played contemporary instrumental music on the ground, their audience around them. Clément Decaudin, France
Emergency. Intensity. Noise.
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Tabatô
João Viana, Portugal
Mutar, who fought in the colonial war, is back in Guinea. In his luggage, he brings strange objects. Fatu, his daughter, takes the opportunity of Mutar’s absence to open his bag. Shortly afterwards, Fatu’s boyfriend Idrissa finds Mutar with his hand soiled in blood and Fatu dead. It is then that Idrissa picks up a drum.
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Whaled Women
Ewa Einhorn, Jeuno JE Kim, Sweden
SchlopSchlop (SS) and KK are two annoying women who work at the Office of Development in Krabstadt; a small town located in an undefined Arctic region where the Nordic countries have sent their Unwanteds. One day a group of Whaled Women are stranded on Krabstadt’s shores and it’s up to KK and SS to deal with the situation.
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image: Diana Mesesan
Film Financing
Once you’ve got things rolling: you’ve got your script, you’ve pitched your film but you’re still looking for that extra grant, here are a few tips and techniques to try and get some money. Crowdfunding included!
How to be a festival darling, page 59 The perfect content for the short film market, page 60 Short Film Festival Trivia, page 62 The sky is the limit: ways to finance your short film, page 64 Get the viewers to support, get the supporters to view, page 66 WOSH by Daazo.com - the European Shortfilm Centre 58
Tips from Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival
HOW TO BE A FESTIVAL DARLING Festivals offer an allimportant route to recognition and a wealth of opportunities for short film makers, not forgetting the chance to get your precious masterpiece screened in an actual cinema. The people behind the scenes at festivals are passionate about film and love what they do, despite long hours, intense pressure and often little or no pay. Sound familiar? Think of us as kindred spirits ones who could just open some doors for you. Some tips. text: Jude Lister
Develop a festival strategy. Draw up a list of target festivals, considering prestige, industry exposure, networking potential, awards and geographical spread. Budget for fees, film copies and postage costs. Read submission guidelines carefully (FYI: sending out random emails / tweets with online links just makes you look lazy). Create a simple website with a trailer, synopsis, full credits, contact details and a press kit with high-resolution stills.
Make sure any DVDs you send out are well labelled, including an email address. Review progress regularly and adjust tactics accordingly. Take rejection gracefully and be responsive when your film is selected. Attend festivals which are screening your film, but think about where you can get maximum benefit. Are you competing for an award? Is there a market or industry programme targeting shorts? Will buyers, sales agents and programmers be there in a networking context? Although major feature-focused festivals look fancy on your filmography, they often lack a framework to support short film makers. On the other hand, smaller events have the benefit of a more intimate setting, which makes networking a more natural process. Many events offer training programmes which give them added value. Talent Campuses (Berlinale, Sarajevo) are a fantastic way to meet people, get inspired and learn new skills, while dedicated shorts festivals such as Encounters organise
talks, workshops and practical courses. Every year we also give a special platform to ten short filmmakers who are ‘ones to watch’ – the Future Encounters. Put yourself out there, but don’t be pushy. Try to be engaging during festival Q&As, and make efforts to build relationships with interesting contacts. Just be careful to pick the appropriate moment to pitch your new project - nobody likes being pestered. Do bring along promo materials and DVDs but don’t desperately plaster them everywhere. Be sincere and friendly with the festival staff and volunteers, as a positive impression can work wonders for your reputation. Send a thank you email after your visit and an update about your latest projects: Encounters is always delighted to promote any alumni successes and always keeps the filmmakers in mind when interesting opportunities come up. The Encounters Call for Entries is now open. Find out more at www.encounters-festival.org.uk
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Paths of Hate
Perfect Content for the Short Film Market text: Jan Naszewski, New Europe Film Sales, neweuropefilmsales.com
An average short film sales agent acquires 10-30 films per year. Let’s face it - the market is small so it is impossible that all of them will be successful. Hopefully, one manages to make at least a few sales for each title over a period of time. But sometimes you will have 2-3 titles that do really well. And that was the case with Paths of Hate for us – definitely the highest-selling short film that we’ve ever had in our catalogue. Here, I would like to try to answer the question “why?”
Background
Paths of Hate was produced by Platige Image – a Warsaw-based animation and special effects studio. It is one of the most successful Polish production companies, which makes special effects for Lars von Trier’s films (Antichrist, Melancholia) and was Oscar-nominated for Tomek Baginski’s Cathedral. We built a relationship with them while working on the sales of their previous film, Kinematograph (Oscar-shortlisted in 2010). This is exactly how we like to work with producers: building long-term relationships and mutual trust. After a successful run with Kinematograph, we were invited to their office in November 2010 to see a new film which was almost ready. It was Paths of Hate – a 10-minutelong, fast-paced story about two fighter pilots who turn into beasts and become a universal symbol of hate, all accompanied by hard rock music. It was an entertaining film, hitting a specific demographic – a young male audience fascinated with planes, World War II and, indirectly, fantasy, sci-fi, and animation – potentially a strong film for the US market (like most Platige titles).
It was also a nice, flashy change for a lot of festivals (and our catalogue), filled with student art-house dramas about suicide – always a good film to break a depressing or very arty screening block. We took the film and started to discuss the best way to promote it. The timing was perfect: the beginning of the year has a few strong festivals: the Berlinale, ClermontFerrand, Sundance, etc. The producer was handling the submissions. In the end, we premiered in Tampere in March 2011, and then went on to the SXSW, Annecy where the film got a special mention, it won Jury Awards at Siggraph and ComicCon to name but a few, and screened at around 200 film festivals in the world (many of them in the US). That means it got enormous exposure to professionals and audiences alike around the world. In order to be able to sell the film, we did an Oscar-qualifying screening in Los Angeles in March 2011. The Oscar campaign was run by the producer with support from us, the Polish Film Institute and using US-based publicists and agents.
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The most intensive part of the campaign took place at the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012. The short-list came up in December 2011 and the nominations in January 2012. The film made the shortlist but was not nominated, which was surprising for many. It seems that the Academy prefers softer, less controversial, Pixar-style films (have a look at the nominees from recent years!). Paths of Hate had many fans but it also alienated a lot of people looking for more kids-friendly content and, yes, women – all together a substantial group of voting Academy members, it seems. Why is Paths of Hate good content? Paths of Hate is 10 minutes long, which means it’s suitable for TV slots (both as a filler and as part of a block of films), cinemas (as a film that could be screened before a long feature) and festivals (as part of a screening block). Most short films are too long or at least longer than they could have been. This is problematic for broadcasters and festivals. Have a look at the programme of any festival – how many 30-minute films are there? Maximum 2-3 films compared to around 20 which are under 15 minutes long. Same with TV stations – only two or three in the world are willing to purchase a foreign film that long – most broadcasters don’t have such slots. And cinemas? Forget it. Even if they are open enough to consider playing shorts before features, they need to play 15-20 minutes of commercials and then they don’t want to keep the audiences waiting for more than 5-10 minutes before the main feature. Which means that with 10 minutes of length, Paths of Hate already ticks a lot of boxes. In general, I advise you to make films under 15 minutes, and around 8 minutes for animation.
To put this into perspective: festivals get 2,000-5,000 submissions and they want to be able to show as many films as possible but only have 30-80 slots, which means that every 30-minute long film competes with three 10-minute long ones. Not a good chance for selection if you ask me. Paths of Hate is also a commercial film, visually impressive and fast-moving. Because of that, it quickly got the attention of blogs and animation and WWII enthusiasts. In fact, it was the first film ever in our catalogue for which I received requests from individual customers who wanted to buy single copies on iTunes or Amazon. We tried to respond to that as soon as it was possible and the film is now available on both of these platforms – both as VOD and DVD. It was also released on DVD by other companies. Over a period of two years (from January 2011 to January 2013) Paths of Hate was sold to ten TV broadcasters, two DVD labels and four cinema distributors, it is available on iTunes and on Amazon.com as VOD and DVD. The film won prizes at 31 festivals and was Oscar-shortlisted. Damian Nenow, the director, has created his own, recognisable style and he is now making a 3.5 million Euro animation and documentary hybrid feature called Another Day of Life. For us, working with Paths of Hate from such an early stage was a great experience and a real pleasure. If you have another one like it, call me!
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The Sky is the Limit: Ways to Finance Your Short Film text: Dávid Dercsényi image: Oana Barna
So okay, you have the idea, the script, the one and only. We - you and me - do know that you’re better than Fellini, Antonioni, Roman Polanski, even Claude Hooper Bukowski... But let’s prove it to the audience as well! So we need crew, filming locations, cast, coffee, and many other things - in other words resources, and money. How can you find the budget for your short film? The most traditional way of funding: your homeland is generous, and it decides to support you. Actually, why is it worth their while doing so? No need to say that European countries consider the art of film important, and it is hard to overestimate the importance of visual cultural phenomena. It’s also much cheaper to support filmmakers at this stage than financing ill-developed feature films later. That’s why national film foundations, film institutes and other national institutions fund short films. Shorts don’t get into the classic, big distribution system, therefore there’s little chance to make an average short film profitable. This fact doesn’t make them more attractive for investors and production companies. But it is an advantage as it gives more flexibility and freedom for short film, which is not under the pressure of profitability. Generally, the funding happens through national film foundations and film councils – in Europe, you can find these organisations almost everywhere.
If you happen to be French, you can count your lucky stars, because in France, short films are looked after well. There’s a vast network of funding for short films, national and regional organizations work together to help filmmakers. After their completion, short films have the possibility to get nationwide cinema circulation through the broadcasting network, and TV channels also have important roles in distribution. Germany makes it more regional (or federal, just like most things in the country). German short films are usually made with money coming from regional film funds. The distribution happens through cinemas and festivals. The KurzFilmAgentur Hamburg will help in the distribution, but there are many other private distributors or film schools involved in this process. In the United Kingdom, the Film Fund is the development and production heart of the British Film Institute.
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Note that the UK Film Council ceased operating in April 2012 - since then, the BFI has assumed the majority of its responsibilities. Britain is also divided into regional organisations. In England, funding is available from Creative England for the costs of developing a screenplay (or the equivalent for documentaries), such as research costs, writer’s fees, script editor / developer support and script readings. The whole budget is £250,000 and awards will range from £2,500 to £25,000. If you are from Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, turn to your national funding organisations. But what if you don’t have such promising possibilities? If the Film Foundation (and / or the Ministry of Culture) of your country has very limited resources? Well, then you have to be smart, and think differently. Surely, you live in an area that has a regional cultural organisation, film foundation, or any kind of film-related hub.
Turn to them: even if they can’t provide grants, they will most certainly help you with finding filming locations and connecting you with professionals if you can promise some benefits to them in return. Major broadcaster companies announce thematic schemes more or less regularly. Do keep an eye out for announcements about short film schemes in the news bulletin of filmmaking communities – such schemes can bring some post-production funding for you. Competitions which are usually announced by short-film-specified websites such as Daazo.com or screenplay-contest.com can do just the same. Upload your film and harvest the glory for the winner! Although it’s not the classic way of financing your film, you can still view it as a sort of post-financing method. And you can still count on crowdfunding, but there’s another article for that in this very magazine.
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Get the Viewers to Support, Get the Supporters to View 2012 was a breakthrough in the history of crowdfunding. The most popular platform, Kickstarter hosted more than 18,000 successfully supported campaigns last year, which generated around $320 million by 2 million people. text: Dániel Deák image: Zoltán Aprily
It sounds like an enormously large amount, but this is just a little bit more than a single Hollywood blockbuster’s budget. It shows the huge growth potential in the crowdfunding business, which can double its annual revenue to $6 billion in 2013. And it is not the only reason why filmmakers should keep their eyes out for it. Crowdfunding, however, is not just about the money and the financing itself. It demands a new approach to creating an artwork, which can result in new genres, aesthetic categories, and new kinds of cultural entertainment. For example, in the process of making a film you should be able to define your audience at the very beginning of the project. If you fail to do it, or you miscalculate something, you would not be able to realise your plan. This creates a two-way and seemingly controversial artistic approach: on one hand you should be enthusiastically collaborative to involve your supporters in the intimate process of creation. On the other hand, you need to build up your own brand as a filmmaker to be visible and recognisable to a certain target group.
These two elements are often the key to running a successful crowdfunding campaign. Alternatively, there should be a very important case or public figure to support the case, like the Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei and the documentary about him. (Pledged around $50,000, premiered at Sundance.) Documentary is a successfully crowdfundable genre, because it can be personal and important at the same time, which can urge many people to take part. The traditional way of short film financing is not connected at all to the audience’s feedback, because it assumes that there is no audience for these works. The main aspect of this system is to realise the films, to make a 35mm copy or a digital one to send it to festivals - and that’s it. This is fair enough for most directors and producers, but not always satisfactory for the viewers. It does not mean that there aren’t any masterpieces that have successfully found their audience, but until now, this method has generally put short film into a cage to function as a lab animal, instead of being an individual piece of art or entertainment.
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Crowdfunding - as a new chance for filmmakers - is the newest chapter in the recent story of bringing short film into public attention. For a few years it has been quite obvious to find your audience on the new platforms like Daazo, Vimeo or YouTube. Now you can go and look for your supporters as well. If you do it well, these two groups (audience and supporters) will be the same and you will be able to re-use your previous works to finance the new ones, as your backers will be the first viewers and promoters of your work.
“Crowdfunding is not just about the money and the financing itself. It demands a new approach to creating an artwork, which can result in new genres.” As most of web-based success stories, crowdsourcing also started in the US with the two major platforms Indiegogo and Kickstarter which helped to realise several thousand projects. Besides the technical features, there is a cultural difference in the tradition of helping a certain case - or financing culture generally. In Europe, there are strong and well established systems for supporting fine arts; governments spend a lot on it, but in the USA, in most of the cases you can only count on the 4F factor at the beginning of your career: founder, family, friends, fools. The crowdfunding platforms are built on these and on the strong civic engagement of the American society.
However, crowdsourcing is starting to become successful in Europe too. Firstly, because now it is part of the global entertainment flow; it is fun to browse creative projects and exciting to watch whether they’re being realised. Also, because of the recession in Europe’s most states cut their cultural funds and this trend does not seem likely to change in the near future. It is just a matter of time to see that more established producers follow the path of Barry Mendel (The Sixth Sense, The Royal Tenenbaums, Munich) and join crowdfunding projects. Mendel is currently producing the musical God Help the Girl, starring Emily Browning, due to be filmed in 2013 - it is a US-UK co-production that has raised more than $3 million on Kickstarter. It is pretty sure that a major European film festival (if not more than one) will embrace crowdfunded films in the near future as Sundance has done it since 2012. So this is the best time to set up a crowdfunding project, not only for financing your next film - but because you will know more about it, and about your audience.
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Inspired by Problematic Issues text: Zsuzsanna Deák
Nino Jincharadze won first prize at the Sarajevo Cocktail Film Contest for The Light: a brilliant film with a powerful ambience, interesting animation and a strong message. Joonas Makkonen won first prize at the Impossible Film Contest for The Escort, an existential horror film with strong (and creepy!) characters, a chilling atmosphere, amazing photography and a surprising twist. When did you first know that you wanted to be a filmmaker? Nino: It first happened when I was fourteen years old. We had a small home camera and my friends and I wanted to shoot a horror movie in my cellar. In the end, our horror film became very funny. This was my first attempt at filmmaking. Joonas: My sister said that when I was really young, about five years old, I wanted to be a stuntman! Then I wanted to become an actor. And in 2001, when I was in secondary school, I made my first amateur films with a handycam. This was when directing became my main interest in filmmaking.
script and put a different idea in it, which I think was more suitable for this story. The director agreed with me and we made it together. I wanted to portray a reflection of the principles of industrial revolution on people’s lives, when people became part of the industrialized world and started to think, work and behave like technical equipment and rejected and ignored everyone and everything that didn’t fit the standard. Joonas: With The Escort, I think the most interesting story behind the whole film is that it was actually made in under 48 hours! That is, the whole project was made from the original idea to the completed film in two days, for the How did you come up with the idea for these Uneton48 2011, a Finnish 48-hour short film prize-winning films? Can you tell us any inter- competition. The Escort was chosen to be in esting stories about the developing / filming of the Top 10, and the film also got nominations The Light and The Escort? for best sound and best actress. So, the idea Nino: The storyline of The Light doesn’t belong to me. I just made some changes in the was born inside our crew when we heard that we needed to make a short film which
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And I want to thank Daazo for making available a great catalogue of shorts. I’ve seen a lot of wonderful movies here. Every problematic issue around me inspires me. I don’t work on the script so often independently, but when it happens, I always try to imagine every detail of the script, how it would be realised in the Have you got any plans for other films? Any features or shorts? Can you give us a few words film. I always check the importance of each about what short film as a genre means to you? scene: what it gives me and what it would change if I cut it out from the script. Nino: Currently, I’ve got several projects of Joonas: I think I don’t watch enough short short films which I want to develop in the films by other filmmakers. Nowadays I don’t future. I think that short film offers a good watch too many feature films either. Some chance to search your cinematic technique years ago I found more time to watch films. and develop your professional skills and crafts. Working on shorts, you are not focused For me, the inspiration is life itself. I find useon material profit, it just gives you a chance to ful little things in everyday life. My dogs have promote yourself, and to show all your poten- inspired many stories. So has my neighbourhood. Also, funny moments and sad moments tial to your audience, future partners, invesare something that you can turn into fiction. tors, etc. It is a way to get valuable festival experience, to make important contacts and expand your professional network. It’s a good How do you see yourself in 10 years’ time? What are your dreams and what do you think opportunity to accumulate all the resources the reality will be? that you need for working in the filmmaking Nino: Thanks for this question; it makes me business. So, it might become a key to your happy to think about what I can achieve in successful future professional life. this period of time. Perhaps I will complete Joonas: I have lots of ideas for short films. I my own project, with one of my favourite acam also planning my first feature film. I am tors starring in it. I hope I’ll be more expeactively taking part in short film races, like the Uneton48 contest I mentioned before, be- rienced, skilled and well established in the cause they are a great way to learn, and a great international film industry. I’ll meet many way to keep yourself busy. When you sign up talented directors and cinematographers and I’ll make great films with their support. I don’t for those competitions, it means that during like dreaming. I prefer specific aims and realthe competition’s time, you have to make a film - no excuses! I think short film as a genre istic plans about how to reach my goals. is a great way to learn screenwriting and film- Joonas: My dream is to write and direct feamaking. It is also a safe way to test one’s ideas. ture films for a living. The reality will probably be the same as it is today: I do any media I have got great ideas from my short films to work to get my bills paid. Most of my film feature screenplays. So short film is a very projects I make as an independent filmmaker enjoyable format, and very inspiring as well. with an extremely low budget. But I like my Do you watch other filmmakers’ short films? situation today as well, because I have found What inspires you and how do you work? great people and friends with whom I can Nino: I always watch short films, whenever make short films. I get the chance. Short film sections are my favorite part of film festivals. included the following: a moment where one of the characters has an explosion of feelings, a shot of a mirror, and our team drew road movie for the genre. From these basic ideas, the story started to grow!
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The Long Story of Short Films Continues
Daazo in 2013
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After the eventful year of 2012 when we launched our new website, organised our first travelling-online short film festival, launched our Samsung SmartTV application, organised many successful film contests, and published the first ultimate short film magazine in English, we are about to rock the short film world again - and even more. Here you can find out how we plan to do all that!
film contest after the berlinale As we have been happily organising the Impossible Film Contest after the Cannes Film Festival, particularly aimed at Short Film Corner participants, we would like to do it after the Berlinale as well. Valuable prizes: one of them is to get into the Daazo Sales Portfolio to be highlighted in Cannes. The only thing to do is to upload your shorts to Daazo. Find more details on Daazo.com.
Short Film Production Even though we are more into the distribution part of the business, we are happy to take part in carefully selected short film projects. We are co-producing two short films: Holiday at the Seaside by Cristina Grosan and Backstairs, Paris by Pici Pápai. In 2013, we will organise the second edition of the City of Miskolc international workshop in the framework of the Jameson Cinefest International Film Festival.
The 2nd Edition of Visegrad Shorts on Tour It was amazing to travel across 4 countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) with 6 extremely talented filmmakers (László Csuja, Lucia Halmova, Robert Hloz, Martin Hogenauer, Agata Jagodzinska and Tomasz Jurkiewicz) to screen their films and present them to the local audience. We chose their films from among 120 submitted shorts from these countries. Now we are prepared to organise the contest again! Due to our busy festival schedules, we decided to do it in September - with more professional training workshops and, of course, parties!
World of Shorts magazines After 4 successful issues in 2012, we would like to continue to create our short film magazines. You are holding the first of the 4 planned for 2013 in your hand - find us in Cannes, Sarajevo and in the Visegrad countries as well! We are also happy to present the first commissioned WOSH about Slovak Short Films, for Kosice 2013, the European Capital of Culture.
1 46 7 2 text: Dániel Deák
New platforms to launch: Daazo Android & Daazo iPad applications We think that short films should be reached everywhere, every time in the best possible quality. Our users asked us to create an Android phone app, and now the time has come for us work on it – it is going to be published soon. The iPad app will be designed for filmmakers who want to present their portfolio in the most beautiful way, for example to producers at film festivals.
Daazo Sales Portfolio We are creating something special for filmmakers who want to get the most out of their shorts. The DSP will be a smart system to help selling shorts to the right places. It connects talent with business.
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If you want to stay up to date regarding these projects and want to receive more news from Daazo, log in to Daazo.com - it’s just a click with your Facebook account.
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A good short film makes me react text: Anita Libor image: Dacian Groza
Zaida Bergroth’s retrospective at the Tampere Film Festival features three short films from the years 2004 and 2006. Glass Jaw and Heavy Metal deal with teenage angst, whereas The Town Manager is a part of a series of films inspired by different political parties. Bergroth’s Carte Blanche is a compilation of her favorite short fiction and documentary films and presents works by such names as Lynne Ramsay and Krzysztof Kieslowski.
Zaida Bergroth, film director
You started your career with short films - but now you are an internationally awarded feature film maker. What does short film mean to you now and what did it mean at the beginning of your career? There are people who seem to be excellent short film directors but who struggle with feature films, and the other way around. There is often more space to take risks in short films, there is no commercial pressure, it’s undeniably more art than business. I guess that’s one of the reasons you can really be surprised watching a short film screening, you really don’t know what you’re about to see. And I love that. With features you more or less have an idea from beforehand (because of the marketing and the decision you already had to make at home). I appreciate short film makers very much. I think I have struggled a bit with shorter formats, probably because my strengths lie, I think, in my way of depicting characters rather than in depicting an interesting moment. That takes time, at least in my case, and my own favorites of my short films are pretty long, 30 and 40 minutes. So I really love and respect watching short films that can really handle a short time frame and still make an enormous impact. Short film making is its own art form. In the beginning of my studies I might have thought that short film making is rehearsing for the longer format. Obviously that’s not the case. You were raised in an artistic family, your mother is a painter - why did you choose filmmaking for living? From early on we watched a lot of classic films in my family, and I fell in love with Hitchcock, Kurosawa and Bergman. Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe were my heroes. There was always this magic I couldn’t get enough of. Even when I was very young, my mother let me see films that were not suitable for children, for example Hitchcock’s Psycho, but the way she did it was great, she used to pause the video before something horrible happened and asked me to imagine the director standing just next to the film frame, the sound guy and the clap girl and so on. This was extraordinary, I loved the fact that this secret was shared with me. And yet the world depicted was so flawless and believable, so true. Pure magic.
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You will have both a retrospective and a carte blanche at the Tampere Film Fest - how will you choose the short films for the carte blanche, what is a good short film to you? A good short film makes me react. I guess I’m a physical art consumer, I feel it in my body when I’m watching something interesting. Somebody is sharing something, being true, revealing themselves.
Glass Jaw, film still
That’s what I respect, and that’s what gets me excited. It’s hard to put in words, and in a way I don’t even want to find words - a great film deserves the mystery and magic surrounding it. Do you have any favourite shorts of your own work, or a short film that you are very proud of? The most important short film (of my own work) for me is the one I graduated from the film school with, Glass Jaw (2004). In a bit of a naive way it was a declaration of something, maybe independence, I guess with it I found at least a distant echo of my own voice. I had been a bit lost in film school, I had a hard time to connect with the scripts I was given to direct. Glass Jaw was the first I took the risk with and dared to write myself. It’s of course still hard for me to watch it because of its countless flaws, but still, making it was a revelation for me, I understood that above all I need to trust myself and listen to my own instincts.
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Your Workshop Agenda text: Attila Mocanu
There comes a point in any filmmaker’s life when official training isn’t enough. It just doesn’t do the trick. You need to go out, leave your comfort zone, and see the world. There are countless training opportunities, workshops, and forums that one can attend. We’ve put together a short list, in case you’ve been wondering where to go next. Project Market Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia The Robert Bosch Stiftung sends up to ten up-andcoming producers for the Film Prize to the Sarajevo Talent Campus to meet with filmmakers from the region. This workshop offers a special programme with “OneTo-One Meetings”. Learn how to pitch your project within a short amount of time, and get people enthusiastic about it! Nr. of participants: ~80 Countries eligible: Germany, countries from Eastern Europe Fee: none
Project Market, Tbilisi, Georgia The aim of this workshop is to give young filmmakers a look into international co-productions. The first move is to find a partner team in order to apply for the Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung. Ready, set, co-produce! Nr. of participants: ~12 Countries eligible: Germany, Georgia
Berlinale Talent Campus, Berlin, Germany It’s a must-stop on any young filmmaker’s training itinerary. Held during the Berlin Film Festival, the Berlinale Talent Campus will lock you up with people from around the globe, so get on your adaptive suit and prepare to give your career a boost! Nr. of participants: ~350 countries eligible: all Fee: none
Go Short Student Campus, Nijmegen, the Netherlands Part of the Go Short International Short Film Festival, organised by Breaking Ground, a platform for European student films. You’ll learn more about sound and image than you have ever thought of. Switch to filmmaking mode! Nr. of participants: ~15 Countries eligible: countries from Europe Fee: around €250
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Midpoint Workshops, Teplice, Slovakia & Prague, Czech Republic Midpoint is a script development training programme for graduating students, who look for more practice in filmmaking. If you’re one of them, Midpoint is your target. Nr. of participants: n.a. Countries eligible: countries from Europe, with a focus on Central European countries Fee: €80 or €240 Generation Campus, Saint Petersburg & Moscow, Russia Generation Campus is an international programme of creative and professional development for young & talented filmmakers. Under the programme, participants are trained in groups of cinematic professions, attend lectures, workshops and individual consultations with masters of various cinematic disciplines. During the programme, participants work on a training short film as well. Nr. of participants: ~100 Countries eligible: all Fee: none
world of shorts 4 successful issues in 2012 - reaching more than 40,000 readers. Find us in Berlin, Cannes, Sarajevo and the Visegrad countries! The first commissioned WOSH is about Slovak short films, for Kosice 2013, the European Capital of Culture. World of Shorts magazine by Daazo.com. The shorts are on us! for collaboration proposals please contact info@daazo.com
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world of shorts
editors in chief Dรกniel Deรกk, Zoltรกn Aprily editors Anita Libor, Zsuzsanna Deรกk art direction & graphic design Cristina Grosan contributors Zoltรกn Aprily, Dรกniel Deรกk, Zsuzsanna Deรกk, Dรกvid Dercsรฉnyi, Cristina Grosan, Anita Libor, Jude Lister, Attila Mocanu, Jan Naszewski, Wim Vanacker photos Zoltรกn Aprily, Oana Barna, Calin Bocian, Dacian Groza, Amets Iriondo, Diana Mesesan thanks Maia Christie, Julia Hicks, Richard Brasher, Maike Mia Hรถhne, Christine Trรถstrum, Matthijs Wouter Knol cover photo Diana Gandila flip strip Diana Ghyczy Backstairs, Paris photograph Mushon Zer-Aviv World of Shorts film contest photograph Adi Bulboaca dianamesesan.blogspot.com | daciangroza.ro instagram.com/amiriondo | adibulboaca.ro/adibulboaca/
Daazo.com - the European Shortfilm Centre is supported by the MEDIA programme of the EU. This material does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the EU. This magazine was printed on recycled paper. ec.europa.eu/culture/media
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